Artie was in the chair for this one as we navigated some of the finest streets in the capital. A small group headed towards Belgravia and stumbled accross a few favourites that would appear on later crawls. The cool Young’s pub “The Antelope”‘s wooden appeal so different to the white mansions and the sequestered Star Tavern in its mews setting are both hidden gems, dwarfed by the edifices around these parts. These pubs criss-cross a later crawl – see Belgravia to Chelsea

As Artie would contend, only six boozers in one night was a bit paltry, given recent escapades. Back in those days we started a bit later and hung around for more than 1 beer at some pubs…. but nevertheless, one of the finest mews pubs in deepest London, the Horse and Groom, allegedly an old Beatles hang out, was a great way to round off the night. He does like his hard to find mews pubs and the cobbled street and olde worlde frontage gives this pub a real “local” feel.

In fact, well done for finding both mews pubs first time around with no doubling back – not easy

In July 2012 it was Tim’s turn to sneak in a quick crawl before the Olympics started, and for his first crawl he found a gap in our coverage on the Belgravia/Pimlico borders just to the south of Victoria station.

This month’s meeting point was a pub visited once before, the Duke of Wellington, fairly close to Sloane Square station. The Duke is a fairly traditional Shepherd Neame corner pub, with a single room around a central servery. The first few of us to arrived sampled the nice Whitstable Bay, and improvement I think on the Spitfire and Kent’s Best.

We headed east from here, past Noel Coward’s house on Gerald Road, to Elizabeth Street. Walking downhill on Elizabeth Street took us through two worlds, with the first section gorgeous, with a gorgeous looking street, and lots of affluent people patronising expensive looking restaurants. East of Ebury Street the street turned to shabby tarmac, the people turned into backpackers, and the food offer changed from smart restaurants to a chip & kekab shop!

Why the sudden downhill turn? The smart money’s on the presence of the coach station, offering buses to all parts of Europe for a few pounds or euros, and a magnet for the budget conscious traveller. Their presence was certainly felt at the Travellers Tavern, a large Taylor Walker pub right next to the arrivals section. We mainly settled for Doom Bar with the odd London Gold as we settled into an outside table adjoining the path from Arrivals. After what seemed like a long time listening to wheely cases being hauled along the alley, the stragglers arrived from the rain-delayed Oval, and we pressed on to pub three.

We headed south, passing the 1938 former Empire Terminal of Imperial Airways, and then turning back of the main road past (fortunately without stopping) a large branch of Rileys, before arriving at The Belgravia. While the name conjures up an image of enormous stuccoed villas, the Belgravia is actually tucked under a block of council flats, but they have made a good job of the space available, offering an unpretentious pub with some decent ales and a sheltered beer garden which includes an outdoor TV for watching sports – very unusual touch for London.

After this we headed west along Ebury Street, which changes its name briefly to Mozart Terrace after its most famous past inhabitant, to Orange Square, where a statue to its composer can be found. This is also very close to the spot where the Bun House stood (note Bunhouse Lane just off the Square), home of the Chelsea Buns until it closed its doors for the last time in 1839.

Across the street is the next pub, The Orange. Now somewhat gastroed, it nevertheless has a pleasant (if busy) bar with some nice ales on, though there is no longer a microbrewery on site.

After these we headed east, over the busy railway lines into London Victoria at Ebury Bridge and crossing over from Belgravia to Pimlico in the process. The next pub was the White Ferry House, another with a backpacker link, serving as it does as a hostel. Downstairs though remains a lovely traditional two-bar pub. The first beer drawn was actually off, but to be fair to the staff it was changed with an apology and no fuss.

After these drinks we began to move back towards Victoria station, calling next at The Greyhound, a pub which has been closed for 10 years but thankfully has recently been fully refurbished and reopened, with a nice bright interior with white walls and interesting paraphernalia and some nice beers. I had the Bateman’s Summer Swallow while I’m told the Tim Taylor’s Landlord slipped down very nicely.

Final stop of the evening was just along Hugh Street, the St George’s Tavern, a large Nicholson’s pub which was already beginning to empty by the time we arrived, though luckily we were just in time to catch last orders before being ushered out into the summer evening and (for some) a late curry.

Rich led us for this Friday evening walk, starting at the famous Grenadier, once apparently a country pub and now tucked away in a Belgravia mews close to Hyde Park Corner. From here to Kinnerton Street for the Wilton Arms and the rather special Nag’s Head, occasional haunt of local celebrities and, on our visit, a very friendly dog with a penchant for crisps.

The Star followed next, another cracking mews pub with a line in pork scratchings, and then the Antelope, yet another great pub. This brings us into Chelsea at Sloane Square, where we stopped at the Queens Head, a somewhat unusual choice for us lot… Finally we ended with a couple in the Chelsea Potter on the King’s Road.